1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to online and/or mobile payments and more particularly to making online and/or mobile purchases within an information feed.
2. Related Art
More and more consumers are purchasing items and services over electronic networks such as, for example, the Internet. Consumers routinely purchase products and services from merchants and individuals alike. The transactions may take place directly between a conventional or on-line merchant or retailer and the consumer, and payment is typically made by entering credit card or other financial information. Transactions may also take place with the aid of an on-line or mobile payment service provider such as, for example, PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Such payment service providers can make transactions easier and safer for the parties involved. Purchasing with the assistance of a payment service provider from the convenience of virtually anywhere using a mobile device is one main reason why on-line and mobile purchases are growing very quickly.
Additionally, many consumers presently utilize information feeds, such as Twitter feeds and feeds provided by other social networking services and/or websites, to access rapidly updated information from individual Tweets or information posts in an information feed. Information posts may be posted by friends, colleagues, organizations, companies, and/or other parties known in the art. An individual user may follow other users to access and view a customized collection of such information posts as the user's information feed. Often, information posts include information regarding a product that is available for purchase. To purchase a product mentioned in an information post on an information feed, a user typically clicks on a hyperlink in the information post to launch a web browser application that is directed to a merchant website of a merchant selling the product, or searches for a merchant website that sells the product using a search engine. The user can then utilize the merchant website through the web browser to purchase the product. The need to launch a web browser application to access the merchant website, or search for that merchant website, in order to buy the product is time consuming and bothersome for the consumer, and may lead to lost sales for the merchant.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for purchasing products referenced in information posts displayed in an information feed.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.